DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1943, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS

CRANE OPERATORS INJURED. WHANGAREI, Dec. 14. George Martin, a crane operator; of Taumarere, and William Cates, acrane operator, of Kawakawa, were admitted to hospital, tne former suffering from shock, abrasions, and injuries to the chest and the latter lacerations to the thigh. The injuries were sustained when a railway crane was derailed, and dragged 11 trucks with it early this morning. One truck was thrown 10 feet to the top of the bank of a cutting, and remains were . scattered about in a spectacular manner. About 60 men were engaged in clearing the wreckage, which held up north and south trains. MILK COMMISSION'S REPORT. WELLINGTON, Dec. 14. In a statement to-day, Mr. Roberts (Minister of Agriculture) said that because questions of stabilisation policy were involved, the report of the Milk Commission had been referred to the Economic Stabilisation Commission for its report. The Minister emphasised the policy of the Government was to ensure that an efficient, adequate supply of milk of high quality; was at all times available to the consuming public. It was for this reason that the Milk Commission was appointed and its painstaking investigation into a very complicated problem was appreciated by tne Government. The situation reported upon by the Milk Commission had since been altered by the introduction of butter rationing. The consequent prohibition of cream sales for domestic use had introduced a fresh series of complications and the effect, if any, of those upon tne situation was now under examination. “The problem as a whole is under immediate consideration,” concluded the Minister, “and I hope to be in a position to make a more detailed announcement shortly.” GRANTS FROM ART UNIONS. P.A. WELLINGTON, Dec. 14. Grants on a national basis totalling £11,160 were made by the Government to-dap, as Christmas gifts to a number of charitable and philanthropic bodies, iron surplus profits of art unions. The highest grant is £750 each to the New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society and the Commandery in New Zealand of the Order of St. John for branches and subsidiary organisation for relief purposes; £5OO each is granted to the Wellington Free Ambulance; Superior Council, Vincent de Paul Society; Auckland. City Mission; Smith family, Wellington; Home of Compassion, Island Bay and the Silverstream Leper Nursing Sisters Rest Home and the New Zealand R.S.A. Other grants range from £26 to £225. LOTTERY PROSECUTION. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 14. William John Whiting and Elsie Violet Locke were charged with establishing a lottery, and ’ Travel's Burnell Christopher Christie with selling tickets in a lottery, contrary to the regulations of the Gaming Act of 1908. Senior-Detective Nuttall said the promoters of the lottery were members of the Communist Party, and the lottery was one on which the deciding points were the three last figures of the totalisatqr investments recorded at a meeting. Tickets numbered from 000 to 999 were sold, and if all the tickets were sold the proceeds would amount to £25- I he first prize was £7 and there were prizes 'for “one each way;” “one on either side,” and others. The Communist Party, through the secretary, Mrs. Locke, had said the proceeds were devoted to sending parcels to members of the party in the Armed Forces, Whiting, the assistant secretory. had said they were to be used for the purpose of sending members to the national conference at Wellington. Mr. A. C. Brassington, who appeared for the three persons charged, entered a plea of guilty. He produced a bundle of tickets in various raffles, guessing competitions, etc., and he said these were so plentiful that some people imagined they were legal. The prizes amounted to £25 and roughly there was only a profit of £5. This was the first case of its kind heard in Christchurch during the war period. A fine of 20s was imposed on each of the persons charged.

INCOME TAX CLAIM. AUCKLAND, Dec. 14. Judgment disallowing a claim for deduction from earnings assessable for income taxation of the cost of an evening meal, when called upon to work overtime on the waterfront, was given by} the Magistrate (Mr. Luxford) to-3ay. The action had been brought as a test case. The Magistrate said that a large number of waterside workers were in a similar position to the appellant, who during the income tax year ended March, 1942, earned in overtime £17.3 Ils Gd. His ordinary hours were from 8 to 5 p.m., but he was under an obligation to work overtime .when called upon. According to the case stated,, appellant did not receive notice that he was required to work overtime on any day until about 3.45 p.m. and he had stated he , was unable to notify his wife he would not be home for the evening meal, therefore the food cooked tor him was wasted, and he had to pay half-a-crown for a hot meal at a restaurant. He claimed that during the year in question he purchased 174 meals and that therefore he was .. - entitled to deduct £2l 15s from his assessable income. The Commissioner would not allow the deduction on the ground it was not expenditure or loss exclusively incurrd in the production of appellant’s income. The Magistrate said the Commissioner was bound to administer the Act strictly in accordance with its provisions. The appeal was therefore dismissed. BOWLER’S COLLAPSE. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 13. While playing on the Edgeware Eowling Club’s green on Saturday afternoon, Mr. Alexander D. Wilson, aged 58, of 51 Warrington Street, St. Albans, collapsed and died before medical assistance could be obtained Mr. Wilson was a past president of the club. 1 BODY FOUND ON RAILWAY. CHRISTCHURCH. Dec. 13. The body of a soldier, Wilson Ernest Tregea, aged 32. married, whose . home is at 310 Macandrew Road i>tjDvnedin, was found on -the permany'ent way 100 yards south of the Oran station shortly after the de-Sw-ture, of the Christchurch express ■ "strain from the station at 1.23 a.m. feto-day.'.N , , , . , k-&CTt Js thought that the body had been .'.carried for some distance crught'up in the under-gear of one , of .the:' carriages of the express. Tre- . ,gea<‘had been a passenger on the ex.y press,'‘’but there is no evidence of if’ShpWjJfie l got under the train. The •bojly-was discovered by a fireman of - a-goods-train by-passed at Oran by 7 ..the, Express.. ■ ' WOMAN STOWAWAY FOUND. . . , - AUCKLAND, Dec. 13. Discovered at sea on hoard an American .oiltanker, arid brought back to Auckland by launch, J’oan Watson, aged 29, a waitress, came before Mr. J. H. Luxford.’S.M.,. this morning on charges of stowing away on the vessel. and entering on board the s h ] P without a . ■ . The ihat the vessel had to turn ba\^SA s ailine-. and put the woman 'She had in

her possession £l5O 10s in New Zealand currency, 30s in Australian currency and about 101 American dollars. She was stated to be married, and lived with her husband at •Herne Bay. According to her, he had told her to get someone else. Some months ago she met an American Merchant Navy man, and came to love him. She had been unsuccessful in an attempt to obtain a permit to leave for America. The money m her possession was her own savings. Remarking that by hei’ actions the woman had interfered with the ship’s programme.- the Magistrate said he would ' impose a substantial fine of £25.